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nerissanic
Bronze Member
 England
156 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Nov 2015 : 07:08:00 AM
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Tonight our local village will have their annual fireworks do - grrrr. I hope it hammers down with rain. Last year my arab was not a happy girly, she was out with the little ones and they all ended up galloping up and down until I managed to catch them and put them in a more confined area. The fireworks were horrendous, they were so loud the ground was vibrating and you could feel the sound waves go through you, it was awful. Luckily they didn't hurt themselves. This year we have already had some idiots setting off their fireworks this week. Mine now have stables with an attached turnout area each for when the ground is too wet so she and the others have been semi-stabled for the last couple of weeks, and shut in overnight for the last 3 days. The fireworks so far haven't been that close, and my girl has been stressed, box-walking and/or weaving. Tonight they will be just 200-250m away and they will be able to see them as well, so tonight I will be attaching a top door and they will be completely shut in with a radio on, lights on and me in there to try to calm her down.
I have had it suggested to me last night, although too late now unless my local tack store has some, to get some earplugs for my lot - I didn't even know it was possible to get something like that for horses!
So, has anyone ever had to use them on their horses and do they work?
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Goldenmane
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4964 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2015 : 07:22:42 AM
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| Never heard of earplugs for horses but sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately if it rains firework night lasts another week, I'd rather get it over with (personally not at all!) I never rug up, mine are out 24/7, until after 5 November, in case they get spooked and sweat but very mild this year. Once I spent the evening in the field with them, it was like world war 3 overhead and they grazed! I think all sales of fireworks for personal use should be banned and sign every petition! |
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nerissanic
Bronze Member
England
156 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2015 : 08:59:44 AM
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Hi goldenmane, they were out last year because I thought the fireworks would be at the weekend, so I didn't get them in. They went mad, my girl sweated up and was galloping up and down like a loon, I managed to catch the little ones and was practically run over while doing so. Leading a rearing and trying to spin Shetland is not easy, my girl eventually followed us in - how she didn't hurt herself, other than a small cut where she caught herself, I'll never know. They are definitely not staying out tonight, it is just way too risky. We also had some idiots this summer letting fireworks off in the same place, a wedding and then a couple of weeks later a birthday party by a woman who should know better as she has horses herself - when I went to complain I was told to F off and was threatened with 'I know who you are and where you live', another lady who also complained was told she would have her lights punched out! My girl panicked and went through an electric fence this time, posts snapped and flying everywhere, this time she had more cuts and I think slipped or twisted herself as she was stiff for a few days after. Weather forecast for today is wet but clearing up for the evening, grrrr, should be the other way around.
Btw, it's not just me, there are lots of other animals and horses in the area, poor dogs are barking constantly at the moment. |
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DianaSC
Bronze Member
Spain
184 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2015 : 09:53:53 AM
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Before moving to Spain, Kalli (and I) used to live on a farm. The farmer would have a big (professional) firework display, it used to drive me mad. If you want the money from liveries, you need to consider your clients. Kalli and most of the others were stabled, they all seemed worse when they could actually SEE the fireworks. Over here in Spain, there are noisy rockets going off quite a lot, especially in summer, neither Kalli or young Minnet turn a hair.
I've never heard of earplugs for horses but the picador horses at the bullfights over here have their ears stuffed with cotton wool or small sponges so they are not distracted from their rider's commands. |
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FireLight
Gold Member
620 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2015 : 11:07:42 AM
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| The earplugs are like little black pom poms. My friend uses them on her dressage horse when he gets stressed at noisy competitions. I am not sure if you can leave them in unattended or if they are only for when ridden. Don't know if they rub their ears they can go further in. The fly masks with ears may help to deaden the noise. |
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Misshana
Silver Member
England
449 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2015 : 11:29:55 AM
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| I think they would still 'feel' the bangs. I had a border collie who was terrified and would bolt at fireworks/thunder. He went completely deaf with age but still felt thunder and loud noises. My horses were better if they could see (always stabled) fireworks, they used to watch them. |
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garnet
Platinum Member
2382 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2015 : 6:24:55 PM
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| You can buy earplugs in various colours to match your horse's ears for competition - not that the colour matters for your purpose! |
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SuziQ
Gold Member
England
922 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2015 : 8:21:30 PM
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| Iv'e seen them in sheepskin too with a string like mittens attached so you can plait into the top of mane and not loose them. Its awful when you have animals stressed by them..my GR hasn't liked them but she is quite calm tonight ive had rescue remedy in the water all day. Good luck x |
Everyone in my life brings me happiness, some by arriving others by leaving. |
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nerissanic
Bronze Member
England
156 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2015 : 10:40:47 AM
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We have survived! No earplugs this year but I will look into getting some. All four shut in with top doors shut, radio on loud and lights on. All four terribly sweated up, beds trashed. The arab was so scared the weaving obviously wasn't doing the distressing, in the end she huddled in the corner with me scratching her withers and neck to calm her down, although not before she whacked me around the chops while weaving. The Shetlands had each other, both soaked with sweat, the gelding pawing their bed. Once I let them out again they obviously spent the night outside as their hay inside hadn't been touched. They are still outside now in the rain refusing to go in. The French horse was probably the calmest of them all, helping to calm down the arab by touching her as well but didn't want to be calmed by me. It was the bangs that were the worst part of it and I honestly think if they hadn't been completely shut in they would have tried to jump out, they were scrabbling around and just did not know what to do with themselves. All four barefoot so thankfully no cuts; I suspect had they been shod they would have slipped and fallen at some point as they'd have had little grip on the concrete floor. The bangs this year weren't as bad as last year so my deranged-woman-spitting-fire rant last year, plus the problems in the summer and the complaints seem to have had a small effect. This year they even phoned me to let me know when the fireworks were going to start! I didn't get the rain I wished for last night, typical, I have that this morning!
Thank goodness all done for this year, now just new year to get through!
Thanks to you all for your help and advice, suzi q, I think I will try the rescue remedy new year then. |
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Goldenmane
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4964 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2015 : 11:54:40 AM
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| Glad you all srvived but I hate the fact our animals have to go through this. Rescue remedy is great, for the horses and you! |
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faymouse
Silver Member
United Kingdom
412 Posts |
Posted - 17 Nov 2015 : 8:39:10 PM
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| I have heard that you can now get silent fireworks... all the display and none of the noise! |
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nerissanic
Bronze Member
England
156 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 03:19:13 AM
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Hi faymouse, I think/wish/hope that all fireworks should be so in the future, better still if those were the only ones legally allowed to be used/sold. It is definitely the loud bangs that seem to be the damaging part of it all and causes the problems for horses, dogs, cats and I would think all the other animals, and is just so unnecessary. I spoke to the organiser of the fireworks last night, he rang to see if my lot were ok - only 11 days later but he had been ill so I'll let him off(!) and said about the bangs being the problem so he will see what they can do next year. I will suggest it to him when they have their meeting to discuss next years fireworks as he said I would be informed about it, which I thought was very good of him.
We did actually have more fireworks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, massive displays with some very loud bangs, also some smaller private ones, also with loud bangs, on the beach by some inconsiderate morons. I didn't know about any of these and while my lot initially rushed out of their stables when the bangs went off they then stood quite calmly and just watched, luckily these were a lot further away from us which is more than likely why they were so calm. I did ring the police about the beach ones, they were their usual totally useless and inept selves, their reply was ' as it is that time of year there is nothing they can do about it' |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 08:24:38 AM
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Mine aren't bothered; they must have seen "war Horse" and decided not to bother!!!
Years ago I took in a mare on loan when the owner moved and had nowhere to put her. I had enquired about buying her a few years previously but they had changed their mind about selling her so I bought a different mare but they kept ringing me in tears begging me to help them and telling me what a good mother she was and easy to get in foal so I took her. She arrived filthy with a snotty nose and mane a tangled mess, it was November and no rugs. She also box walked. She didn't get in foal and when I tried to contact them the number was unobtainable and I couldn't contact them.
The following spring I sent her to a really good stallion (she was SE, nicely bred) but she didn't get in foal. I tried to contact them but the number they had told me would be their new number was unobtainable and I couldn't contact them. She remained with me and in May the following year they finally contacted me to ask if she had had her foal and when I told them that she hadn't got in foal and I had now had her for 18 months could they arrange to have her back they said they had nowhere to put her, try again for a foal and rang off wothout giving me a contact number; in those days you didn't get the number and few mobiles around!
This time she got in foal and the following year had a colt. She raced round the box when anything different happened and I had to spend bonfire night in the stable with her; the first year I got the vet out but she was so hyper she was dangerous with him and the sedative didn't work well.
Bonfire night wtth the foal: me trying to keep mum from hurting herself and the foal with foalie standing watching the display over the stable door with a look of wonder on his face, his head going up and down as he watched the fireworks going up. You could almost hear him thinking "Stop running around barging into me Mum, and look at these amazing fireworks". I was gobsmacked; I thought that with mum in a blind panic he would be hysterical but he loved it. |
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debs
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 08:49:46 AM
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Ours were in lights on, top doors open, stayed at the doors when fireworks started but then settled down and went to their hay. They are the same out thankfully , friend wanted to keep hers in so they all stayed in.
Noiseless ones....so much better! :) |
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garnet
Platinum Member
2382 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 5:26:18 PM
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| I get that fireworks are pretty and people (including me) like to see them, but how on earth can ANYONE take pleasure in hearing what basically sounds like a war zone? YES to a ban on anything but noiseless ones if we can't have a total ban! |
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Ari
Platinum Member
1657 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 6:41:12 PM
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| Ours always out in large flat field for bonfire night(s). Never had a problem in many years they are happier out (no fire near) and more settled with pals. I would like to see it restricted to one night only and like Garnet no noise just colours. My dogs aren't bothered but one of cats is terrified. |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
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nerissanic
Bronze Member
England
156 Posts |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
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Earplugs for horses
